The years after World War II saw an increase in immigration outside of national quotas, primarily for the spouses and children of members of the U. S. Armed Forces, brought about by legislation like the War Brides Act of 1945.

This photo shows seven of nine German war brides naturalized in Seattle on June 18, 1951. They are identified from the left as: Christel van Emden, Erika Creel, Helga Gertrude Odle, Doris Bender, Gertrude Andrus, Gertrud Peck, and Edith Theresa Thue.

Caption information source: "Agency History: Post-War Years," U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, https://www.uscis.gov/history-and-genealogy/our-history/agency-history/post-war-years.
Caption information also derived from captions written by Post-Intelligencer staff and attached to the back of the photograph.